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The Lakeside Blog springs forth from the creative mind of Michelle Bruck at the Interlaken Inn, Lakeville, CT. She writes about events, great places to visit and cool things to do – in and around Lakeville & Salisbury Connecticut.

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Mar

14

2013

Bye Bye Bathroom...

Here's your last look at our 1st floor main building Guestroom bathrooms!

I am always thrilled about renovations at Interlaken, but this one is truly a very long anticipated one. Last year we completed our second floor Guestroom bathroom renovations and they turned out spectacular! (it's ok for me to brag about this, right?!) Although everyone praised the new look, a couple of our Guests did mention a disappointment: lack of a bathtub. I remember this specifically as I met a couple last summer who, although they appreciated the complimentary upgrade to the second floor, the wife was looking forward to relaxing in a nice hot bath. This first floor project will upgrade to a very similar look as the second floor, but all of the bathtubs will remain intact. I am looking forward to the couple's return this summer so she can still have her hot bath but be surrounded by warm earthtones of the granite countertops, rich vanities and soothing artwork.

The renovations began this morning and all rooms will be complete in just a couple of weeks.

Mar

6

2013

Love is in the Fall Air

Brandon just told me he booked another wedding for this September (surprised to hear there was even a date available to book!), so naturally I had to reach out for some great fall wedding shots to remind you (and myself) of the touches of color that will be back with us in just 6 short months. Engaged and looking for the perfect wedding venue? Email us at weddings@interlakeinn.com so we can check to see if your preferred date is still available!

Paradise at Interlaken

I may not be using the word 'paradise' properly here for many of you, but for true scrapbookers this weekend is certainly paradise! An entire weekend away from the hustle and bustle, the routine, the chores - to escape to the country and do nothing but scrapbook all weekend long. Well, many of the ladies do make time for this massage chair and, of course, cocktails too, but essentially the weekend is spent preserving memories in a fun and creative way. It's no secret that I am a scrapbooker myself and am always quite envious of the ladies (50 this time!) that are able to take part in such a fun weekend. I wander through the meeting rooms to gather some ideas and make promises to myself to scrapbook more regularly. We all know how it goes, though, so to have weekends available like this is such a wonderful option! If your routine keeps you from your favorite hobby, join Kim from Creative Memories the last weekend in February 2014 and escape to scrapbooking paradise. Call us for more details!

Feb

28

2013

A radical race

Have you participated in a radical race at Interlaken, or ever for that matter? Do you know what a radical race is? Have you met Kristy Barto? Do you know who Kristy Barto is? If your answers are no, click on this video so your answers can now be yes! Even if you know about the race we offer at Interlaken and know Kristy, our Corporate Sales Manager and Team Builder Extraordinaire, it's still a great little video to show you just how fun the races are!

A Quilting thank you

Winston told me he had something very special to show me, so up I went to see what it was. A fresh blueberry muffin perhaps? Trust me, it was way better, and I don't say that much when food is involved! Two ladies from the Southhampton Quilting group made Winston a quilt as a sign of appreciation for all of his kindness he showed welcoming them back every year for their annual quilting retreat. How thoughtful was that? The quilt was absolutely beautiful. The work that went into it, the wonderful earth tone colors with pops of turquoise - it was simply exquisite. Now I know the quilting ladies were always nice pleasant ladies, but now we can add generous into that as well. Needless to say, Winston was overwhelmed by this token of appreciation. Speaking of nice quilting ladies, here are some wonderful comments they posted on Tripadvisor about their retreats at Interlaken:

I was also part of the Quilting weekend on Feb. 21 through 24.We have been doing this for many years. As usual, the food was incredible and the selection of different foods was great. The rooms are always clean and all the people working there are very pleasant and accomodating. Looking forward to going back next year.

A group of us have attended a quilt getaway weekend at the Interlaken Inn for several years during February. The staff have always been courteous and accommodating. Several of us come a day or two early for a little extra pampering. I stupidly left my Kindle behind, but it was found and is being shipped to me. Looking forward to next year's getaway, minus the snow!

I recently returned from a quilting weekend at the Interlaken Inn. The retreat was held Feb 8-10 but since there were blizzard warnings for Friday the Inn said that we could come a night early(Thurs) for a very reduced rate. Most of the women opted to come early. When I checked in I was given a 25% coupon for dinner that night and a free Continental breakfast the next AM. The staff was courteous, efficient and hospitable. On Saturday after the storm the staff cleaned the snow off our cars and moved them to a spot that had been plowed. I have stayed at the Interlaken Inn many times and always found the Inn to be accomodating but this time went above and beyond that.

We stayed at the Inn from Thursday afternoon until Sunday afternoon and the management went out of their way to make sure that our stay was totally enjoyable. The staff was very attentive to our needs. Although there was a blizzard on Friday, we were warm and cozy and the staff was very accommodating in clearing the snow off of our cars and making sure that our departure was easily accomplished.

Feb

18

2013

Introducing SHANKARA

Laura Hess-Hay, owner of ELLORA Spa & Sanctuary here at Interlaken, asked if I would be available for one of the new spa treatments being taught to her and her staff using the SHANKARA method and products. A relaxing massage treatment? How could I resist. So I happily entered one of her massage rooms and was treated to an absolutely pampering and relaxing treatment I've had in quite a long time. To be quite honest, I cannot remember the exact name of the treatment I had, but it involved 5 points - my hands, my feet and my head. I was cleansed, exfoliated, masked, rejuvenated, smelled delicious and was balanced from head to toe. My feet in particular were in heaven the rest of the day! The SHANKARA products and methods will be available in early Spring at ELLORA Spa, so be sure to keep an eye out for that. Until that offering, please try one of Laura's other wonderful massage services, and perhaps you can write to me like this Guest did with "He said it was the best massage that he ever had".

Feb

16

2013

Challenge the cook in you!

Chef Brandon came down and said to me “Get your blog camera and be in the Vineyard in 45 minutes”. I thought wow, he’s serious about something, and boy was I right: Serious about FUN that is! It was soon time for our couples cooking class cook-off to happen, and I felt my excitement about this grow as much as his. I headed up early to get some photos of the “set” before it all began:

Fresh fruit and vegetables, pasta, spices - the ingredient table was ready to be tapped for creativity!

Each team could use any item they wanted from the ingredient table, but must use two items: two fresh eggs from Scimeca farm for the appetizer dish and a nice healthy piece of fresh salmon as the main course.

The timer begins and the teams are off! "How many more minutes?" was asked frequently - "4 minutes and 20 seconds" - the teams would move quicker each time the minutes ticked away.

Brandon says "Times up, put all utensils down and bring your creations to me". Trust me, listen to him. He runs the show just like the tough guys on Food Network! So the couples come and bring their appetizers to Brandon for review and tasting (and of course I had to get my fork in there too). The couples then head back to their stations for the entree preparation as Brandon analyzes the dishes, taking notes and offering tips for improvement. I'm a easy judge - all tasted good to me!

Again, "Times up, put utensils down and bring your creations to me". Time for entree review!

I'd say both were pretty tasty for just 10 minutes of pressured cooking time! But, Brandon is the Judge and it's time for the roasting to begin!

This is when I quietly slipped away - although his compliments would be wonderful and his criticisms would be constructive, I still felt there should be some privacy. Later on I overheard the teams chatting at the bar that they couldn't wait to try some of Brandon's creations in Morgan's restaurant that very evening. You could tell both couples had a fun time, as did myself and Brandon.

Sad you missed it? No worries! We've got another one coming up the weekend of March 16th and 17th and is dedicated to the young cook in the family. Capture their passion at an early age and have extra help in the kitchen while they grow up! It would certainly be an educational yet fun weekend for all - click here for more details!